Current-tapping cap-plug fitting



Allg. 15, A' ABRAMSON 1,922,651

CURRENT TAPPING CAP PLUG FITTING Filed July l, 1932 All.

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ATTORN E'Y Patented Aug. 15, 1933 Unirse arm-5gg www orrics 1 Claim.

This invention relates to electric Yattachment iittings and more particularly is directed to an improvement in a combination current-tapping, cap-plug ntting for detachably connecting one or a plurality of portable electric appliances, lighting systems and the like to an electric power supply outlet receptacle.

Among the objects of the invention is to genorally improve the construction or combination current-tapping, cap-plug fitting of the character described, whereby such fitting Ashall comprise few and simple parts assembled to form a neat appearing, compact, rugged structure, which shall be cheap to manufacture, and which shall be practical and efcient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exempliled in the constructions hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention:v

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a combination current-tapping, cap-plug fitting constructed to embody the invention, a conventional type of cap-plug being shown in full lines connected thereto.

Figs. 2 and 4 are bottom and top plan views, respectively, of the improved current-tapping, cap-plug fitting shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 5 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 3-3 and 5-5 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken on lines 6-6 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View of a mcdiiied construction of the invention, and

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken on lines 8 8 and 9 9 in Fig. 7.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes an improved combination current-tapping, capplug ttng constructed to embody the invention adapted to connect with conventional baseboards, and xture socket or iiush outlet receptacles in the well understood manner, such iittings 10 having current-tapping portions which in turn are adapted to connect with other fittings l or with blades or prongs 12 oi conventional cap-plug 11 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Said conventional cap-plug 11 may terminate the ends of conductor wires 13 for connecting an electric appliance (not shown) to a Suitable power source through the improved currenttapping cap-plug tting l0 in the well understood manner. y Y

The current-tapping, cap-plug fitting preferably comprises one piece body portion 14 of any suitable shape and formed of insulating material, Such as porcelain, phenol-condensate products or the like moldable substances on which are mounted spaced current-carrying members 15. As here shown, the body portion is cylindrical and may have the members 15 mounted thereon in any suitable manner as by means of drive screws 16 which engage in suitable ledges 14a. provided in spaced diametrically opposite portionsA of the wall of the body 14 inwardly from the peripheral rim portion 14h as is clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The current carrying members 15 may comprise terminal blades or prongs 17 extending outwardly from the bottom or rear side lctof the body portion 14 and spring contacts 18 which electrically connect in any suitable manner with extensions or bases 17a, of the blades 1'? when assembled in the body 14. Said contacts 18 extend into a pair of spaced parallelly aligned socket openings 14e provided in the body portion 14. Said openings project down from the top or front side 10b of the said body portion 14 opposite the bottom or rear side 10a as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The extensions or bases 17a of the terminals 17 are each provided with a hole-for the reception of the drive screw 16 which rigidly anchors the current carrying members 15 to the body portion 14 as is clearly shown in Figs. 2,3 and 5, the extensions of the base being iirmly seated on the ledge 14a. The extensions or bases 17 are also each provided with a threaded hole through which a binding post screw 19 extends for securing the bare end 20a of an appliance conductor wire 20. i

The spring contact 18 has one end 18a bent back on itself which is adapted to resiliently engagethe blades 12 inserted in the socket openings 14c, said spring contact end 18a being formed with a protuberance 18h for engaging the usual perforation 12a to form a spring releasable interlockment as is clearly shown in Fig. 5, The end 18o of the spring contact 18 opposite the end 18a may be bent and extended l to reach under the base 17a beyond the drive screw 16 so that said drive screw when tightened electrically and mechanically unite the blade base 17a with the spring contact end 18o to form the current carrying member 15 into a rugged structure, as is clearly shown in Figs.

. 2 and 6.

In order that the tting 1() be made as compact as possible, the portion 17h of the blade adjacent where the extending prong connects with the base 17a is provided with an offset. This oiset is made suiicient to provide a clearance to permit free passage for the leading end of the blades 12 to extend beyond the level of the bases 17a yet allow space for the conductor wires 20 between said offset 17a and the inside wall of the peripheral rim 1li-b, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5.

To provide an unbroken peripheral rim 14h about the bottom side 10a of the fitting 10 yet allow the conductor wire 20 to extend through the side wall of the body 14, an opening or passage 2l is provided. As one object of the inven-` tion is to produce a simple and cheaply constructed tting, the body portion 14 is structurally formed to permit simple molding operations thereof. To this end, the rim 14h is made larger in diameter than the portion or" the body portion extending .down from the top side 1Gb above saidrim and thus forms a projecting rimband. The inner wallV 14d of said rimband preferably aligns with the outer wall portion 14e thereabove, as is clearly shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. Thus in molding the body portions Ma, the mold may have a core pin (not shown) extending up into the bottom side 1Go and terminating in a form to produce the opening or passage 21, yet leaving the rim-band 14h continuous and upbroken. If desired, the outer surface of the rim-band may be knurled to serve as ka finger gripping means.

In using the invention, the currenttapping, cap-plug tting 10 is connected to the free ends of the conductor wires 2O of an appliance, lighting device, etc. (not shown) through which electric power is supplied to the appliance when the terminal blades are inserted in outlet receptacles in the well understood manner. Other similar appliance or apparatus may successively be connected in circuit by simply plugging in the terminal blades of similar current-tapping, cap plug fittings 10 or of the conventional cap-plug l1 for electrically connecting the blades 12 thereof and the conductor-wires 13 to the spring Contact 18 as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. The wire 20 passes through the opening 21 at a spaced distance from thebottom or rear side 10a of the fitting 10, so as not to interfere with the seating oi said bottom or rear side 'on the underlying surface of the outlet receptacle.

From the drawing and description given above, it is seen that the fitting lOis simple and compact in construction and permits connecting a plurality of circuits to a single electric power outlet using one or more of the Vimproved i'lt-` current carrying parts 15 the depth or height of the body portion 14 is only slightly greater than the projecting length of the blades 12.

in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, there is shown a modified construction of current-tapping, plug-cap f1tting 110. The current-carrying parts here shown are substantially the same as thatJ described above for the tting 10 with the exception that the spring contact 118 is anchored to the base 17o,l of the blades 17 by an eyelet rivet 22 instead of being secured thereto by the drive screw 16. A further difference of construction is that instead oi having the rim-band lieb of tting 110 project so far out as the rin1-band leb, there is provided a small extended portion or bulge 11ldl having tie opening or passage 121 for receiving the conductor wire. iis form oi construction also permits the ready molding oi the body portion with a continuous or unbroken rim-band 114e, the passage 121 being molded in the same manner described above for the passage 21. The fitting 1151 is used in the same manner as described above for the fitting 10.

It will thus be seen that there is provided means whereby the .several objects of this invention are achieved and which are Well adaptto meet the conditions of practical use.

is various possible embodiments might be made of the aboveA invention, and as various changes mir-v t be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forthv or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illusrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

currenttapping capplug fitting of the charact-er descilwd comprising a one-piece cylindrical shell insulating body having spaced front and sides, the iront oi said body havsocliet' openings extending perpendicuiarly thereto into body, the rear side oi said body thin Walled chambers e; ending therein, identically rformed current-caiiymg spring contact members Fitted into said chambers and positioned to align with said openings, terminal blades having extensions aligning and connectwith said members, prong'ends for said blades projecting from the rear side, offset portions on said blade-sto provide clearances for the prong ends of a connecting fitting inserted in openings when connected with said meinbers whereby the last mentioned prong ends are permitted to extend beyond said extensions and in close proximity to the rear side, a projecting rimmband extending peripherally about the rear side, the body being formed with a passage above and adjacent to said rim-band adapted to receive a conductor wire for connecting with said blades, the inner wall oi said rimoand being so constructed and arranged to align with the outer wall oi the body above said band to permit said passage being molded as part of a core forming the rear side.

ABRAHA'M ABRAMSON. 

